Dr. George on Results of the Abi Race Study for Prostate Cancer

Daniel J. George, MD, professor of medicine, surgery, member, Duke Cancer Institute, discusses results of the Abi Race study for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Abi Race was a prospective, multicenter study of Caucasian and African-American patients with mCRPC treated with abiraterone acetate (Zytiga) and prednisone. Data presented at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting suggested that African-American patients responded better to the treatment. African-American men had higher rates of hypertension and hypokalemia, which George says is a direct result of abiraterone acetate lowering the adrenal gland’s functionality. Researchers hypothesize that in African-American patients, their tissue is getting greater exposure to abiraterone.

George adds that these results send a clear message that race-based trials are justified. Patients will accrue to these studies, and it’s likely to see differences in clinical efficacy and adverse events. It’s not the skin color that’s important, it’s the genes associated with skin color that can affect treatment response.